Amusement rides heavily regulated in Florida

Tuesday

Jul 23, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 23, 2013 at 7:39 PM

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Wild Thing, the Vomatron, the Sling Shot, the Sea Dragon — with sparkling amusement rides lining the Panama City Beach skyline, thrill-seekers visiting the area are rarely disappointed.

VALERIE GARMAN | The News Herald

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Wild Thing, the Vomatron, the Sling Shot, the Sea Dragon — with sparkling amusement rides lining the Panama City Beach skyline, thrill-seekers visiting the area are rarely disappointed.

Bay County is home to 75 amusement rides that require inspection by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; they include go-carts, kiddy rides, super amusement rides and any slide more than 10 feet tall.

Allan Harrison, chief of the department’s Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection, said although amusement activity in the area is not what it once was, he has seen an uptick in recent years.

“At one time, there was a lot more activity in Panama City than there is now,” Harrison said. “It kind of bottomed out, but it’s coming back. … I can see the upswing.”

Harrison said Florida statutes require two scheduled inspections every year on all permanent amusement rides, and park owners must reapply for a permit for each ride annually.

“We’re also required to show up unannounced to do surprise inspections,” Harrison said. “We try to close the gap and be there every three months if we can.”

Park owners are required to verbally report any accident that requires patron hospitalization to the department within four hours of the occurrence, and all accidents are followed up by an investigation. Any ride defect that closes a ride for more than four hours also must be reported.

Local incidents

In the last five years, 37 accidents or incidents in the Bay County area have been reported to the department.

“Most of these accidents have to do with patron error — they’re not paying attention; they spin out because they’re horsing around,” Harrison said. “People just don’t always pay attention.”

Of the area’s 75 rides, a majority of recent accidents reported occurred on 13 rides at nine parks, with go-kart accidents the most common.

“With go-kart rides, water rides and walk-throughs, there are a set of guidelines, and patrons don’t always adhere to them,” Harrison said. “Those walk-throughs, water-related rides and go-karts seem to be our highest accident rates.”

Company profiles obtained from the FDACS showed Race City on Front Beach Road, a park with four go-kart tracks, had the most accidents on file, with 27 dating back to 2001.

Accidents have occurred on the go-kart tracks, dragsters, bumper boats and haunted house, and reasons range from patron loss of control, to brake failure, mechanical issues and improper maintenance. The park was fined $2,500 in 2002 for failure to report an accident and received a $1,000 fine in 2005 for operating rides in a way that posed serious injury to patrons.

Also noted in the company profile were two consumer complaints, one for unsafe operations and another 2011 complaint that stated the patron was unhappy with the way operators responded to an injury that occurred on the go-kart track and complaints regarding the kart’s restraints.

Although Race City had the highest number of accidents in the area, Harrison said the reports weren’t anything out of the ordinary. Race City’s manager declined to comment for publication.

Other parks with higher accident rates included Shipwreck Island Water Park, with 17 accidents on file; Emerald Falls Family Recreation Center, with 16; and Cobra Adventure Park, which had nine.

Cobra owners responded to an out-of-the-ordinary incident last July when the park’s “Wild Thing” ride was stopped mid-air for several hours due to a malfunctioning hydraulic pump. After the pump was repaired, the ride was reinspected and reopened by the department.

Rides at Hidden Lagoon Super Golf and Race Track, Panama Dunes, Indy Speedway, Miracle Strip at Pier Park and WonderWorks also had accidents on file. In most cases, the majority of accidents reported were a result of a loss of control or improper use by the rider.

Mark Walsingham, general manager at WonderWorks in Panama City Beach, said the attraction’s 2010 accident was a two-part fault, with the guest not following instructions and the employee not enforcing them.

The accident occurred on the WonderWorks “360 Bike,” a tandem bicycle in which visitors pedal to fuel the bike to complete a 360-degree loop, and resulted in a $1,500 fine.

“As with any ride, there’s always some risk involved,” said Walsingham, who noted staff conducts daily, weekly and monthly inspections on the four rides at WonderWorks. “We don’t take any chances with that. If anything’s not just so, we don’t open that attraction or that exhibit.”

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